Method of making rubberized fibrous material



Patented Au 10, 11926.

UNITED STATES rain. manna, or AKRON, orno, ASSIGNOR r THE eoonrnanfirmnanunnnn cou- PANY, or men, OHIO, A conrorm'rron or onro.

METHOD or MAKING nunnnnrznn ruinous MATERIAL.

No Drawing.

My invention relates to the manufacture tended chiefly asa, substitutefor leather, but which may be employed for various oltoher purposes forwhich leather is not suit a le.

More particularly my invention relates to one step of the method ofmanufacture of material of the character in question which comprises theremoval and the simultaneous felting of the fibers, from a liquid inwhich they are suspended.

The object of my invention is to provide an improvement in the processof manufacturing whichshall materially increase the speed of manufactureand which shall produce a product having qualities superior to thosepossessed by products manufactured in accordance with the methods ofmanu-' facture which have heretofore obtained,

Heretofore, it has been customary, in the manufacture of material of thecharacter described, to" disperse a quantity of beaten fibers in amixture which contains rubber in solution. After the fibers have beenthoroughly distributed throughout the liquid the rubber in the solutionis precipitated. thereupon, either by the addition of a suitableprecipitating agent or by properly regulating the temperature of thesolution.

The fibers, provided with their individual coatings of rubber, are thenremoved from the liquid in which they are suspended by causing theliquid to pass through a screen, either a stationary screen or a movablescreen such as employed in Fourdrinier machines; as commonly used in themanufacture of paper. The first portion of the liquid which passesthrough the screen deposits a layer of fibers thereon, thus partiallyclogging the screen. The remaining liquid gradually builds up a depositof fibers, thus rendering the passage of'the liquid therethroughprogressivelymore difficult. If the material being manufactured is to berelatively thick, considerable time is occupied in the draining of theliquid therefrom. Also there is a tendency for a channeling action bythe liquid passing through the fibers deposited upon the screen whichrenders the construction of the material 'nonuniform.

In order to pass "the liqli: material, at even a reasona le rate ofspeed it is necessary that. the suction or pressure Application filedMarch 2,

' possibility contained is opened, thus drawing, 0

off the remaining liquid pared with description that I id through the1923; Serial 110. 622,453.

employed, as the'case may be, be relatively high. This interferes withthe natural felting of the fibers and serves to increase the ofchanneling by the liquid.

After the liquid has been removed from the fibers, they are pressed toany desired shape and, if desired, vulcanized.

My presentinvention relates to an improvement on the hereinbeforedescribed method of separating the fibers from the liquid. By myinvention I agitate or churn the liquid containing the fibers by passingit through a centrifugal pump, preferably of the paddle type, or thelike until sufficient aeration of the fibers is produced to cause thefibers to.rise to the top' of the liquid in the form of a clot, It isbelieved that any vigorous chu'rnirig' action will produce the properaeration of the fibers. The effect of the aeration is to cause verysmall particles of air to adhere to the fibers, thus buoying themupwardly. As the fibers are all carried to the top ofthe liquid theymove iIli'.0 '& naturallyv felted relationship with each other.

In the stationary screen device, after the fibers are collected at thetop of the liquid, an outlet valve in a conduit connected to the bottom,of the tankin which the liquid is through a screen, first the liquid inthe lower part of the tank which has been cleared of the fibers by theaerating process and subsequently causing the fibers themselves tosettle upon the screen, and drawing in which they were suspended. Itwill be understood that the portionxof the liquid which suspends thefibers will drain atla lower rate than does the portion which isclear'of the fibers .on account of the screen'being partiallyclo'sed bythe fibers. However, as the ortion of the liquid which bears the fibers15 but a very sm'ill fraction'of the total liquid, it will be obviousthat but a very small amount of time is consumed in draining it off, ascomthe method heretofore employed the screen is gradually clogged inwhich from the very first of the drainage period.

It will be apparent from the foregoing have very materially reduced thetime required for draining llquid from the fibers and that the naturalmatting or felting of the fibers during their rise to the top of themixture will be eifected much relatively short time and,

more naturally, and therefore better than if it be effected b the methoddescribed in connection with t e former process. In the description ofmy invention I have used the term aeration to means the process ofchanging the apparent specific gravity of the suspended material whichwill result in its being buoyed to the surface of the suspending medium.The reason for this change in physical properties is not clearlyunderstood. It may or may not be due to the adsorption or inclusion ofair particles.

The aeration of the fibers requires but a if desired, may be carried onduring the time which is also employed for the deposition of the rubbercoatings on the fibers by precipitation.

Although I have described in detail but a single form of my invention itwill be apparent to those skilled in the art that it is not so limitedbut that various minor modifications and changes ma be made thereinwithout departing from the spirit of my in vention, of the appendedclaims.

What I claim 1s:

1. The method of treatin rubberized fibers in a liquid suspension whlchcomprises or from the scope churning the mixture until it issufliciently vlgorouslyg aerated to cause the fibers to rise' to the topthereof. I

2. The method of removing rubberized fibers from, a liquid whichcomprises aeratingrthe fibers so as to cause them to segregatethemselves, and draining away the cleared liquid.

3. The method of removing rubiberized fibers from a liquid whichcomprises aerat ing the fibers in order to buoy them to the top of theliquid, and draining away the bottom part of the liquid first, andsubse" qlpently draining away the top portion t ereof. 4. A method oftreating a suspended rubberized fibrous composition which comprisesvigorously agitating the same, allowing the material to segregate anddraining off the suspending medium.

5. A method of treating a suspended rubberized fibrous composition whichcomprises agitatlng the suspension, allowing the material to segregatein felted relationship at the surface thereof and draining off thesuspending medium.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto 65 signed my name.

PAUL B'EEBE.

